Runs in the Family
by LoopyLou1990
Summary: X5-595 AKA Luna Williams is one of the 12 escapees of '09 from Manticore. She has spent ten years on the run looking for her brothers and sisters, trying to keep her promise to Ben, a promise she fully intends to keep. But with Lydecker and Manticore hot on her heels she has to keep moving to evade capture. ON Hiatus
1. Chapter 1

_2009, Gillette Wyoming, Manticore secret base._

We had to escape there was no other way. We'd seen what happened to our brothers and sisters who started with the shakes. They had taken Jack away when he fell from those seizures. So there was no other choice, we were sick and tired and scared of Lydecker and we wanted out. Zack led the way we busted through one of the windows and out to the snow below. We had nothing but our gowns and we were barefooted. We split in twos. Zack motioning me and Ben one way so we ran to the next rendezvous point.

Ben and I reached it first; we crouched by a fallen tree and waited. Though the snow was cold at our feet and the wind was icy against our skin, I was happy. We were so close to freedom. Then I noticed the shakes in my hand. A slight vibration, Ben noticed straight away.

"Luna…" I looked at Ben and smiled.

"I'll be ok Ben; we just gotta get out of here." And with that he grabbed my shaking hand as if to stop them. Not long after the others have all arrived. So far we'd lost no one. We all wait patiently for Zack's command. He was the unit leader after all and I his second. As he signals for Max and Jondy to go Max shakes her head. She didn't want to split nor did I, but it was best, better chance of escape and evading capture. Zack motions for Ben and I to go and we go I spare one look back at my brother and sisters, before we disappear through the trees.

Our genetically altered bodies made us fast, super human fast. We zigzagged through the trees, but I could hear the snow mobiles and the hummers getting closer. The fence is within reach when a seizure takes me and I fall to the floor.

"Luna!" My entire body convulses on the snow covered ground and Ben drops besides me lifting me. "Come one, the fence is there, right there! The Blue Lady she'll protect us, help us over it."

"Ben go, go," Another convulsion grips me. "They'll catch us both. Get out of here. I'll buy you time." I panted as I stood with Ben's help.

"Luna we go together."

"No. If another seizure comes I'm done for. I won't take you with me." He grabbed my arm pulling me to the fence. "NO! Ben I'm giving you an order, go!"

"You aren't Zack,"

"No, but he isn't here, so I'm giving the order." I shoved him hard to the fence he looked hurt and I spared a small smile for him. "I'll find you Ben, I promise!"

I scrambled up a tree just in time for the first soldiers to reach us. They have stun guns aimed on Ben as he makes to jump the fence. I dropped down on them knocking them to the ground, quickly breaking both their necks, just like we'd been trained to do. I couldn't lead them to Ben and follow him now. I grabbed a stun gun and hid back in the tree and waited as the soldiers exited the newly arrived hummer.

"They took out two of our guys, confirmed, both dead." One of the soldiers spoke into his comms. I couldn't quite hear the response. "OK men we move out, there's a gas station south west of here. They may have gone that way." The soldier shouted to his men. I had once chance of getting out of here. I descended quietly from the tree and crawled under the hummer and held on tightly.

For over an hour I clung to the under carriage of the hummer as the soldiers checked out the gas station. When I heard the door close and the engine start on the hummer, I dropped and rolled quickly under the parked car they had parked next to. I was so very cold. But I couldn't find warmth yet. Soon the car I was under was on the move. No doubt Manticore would have set up containment road blocks. I heard it before the car stopped as it slowly came to a stop I let go hitting the road and earning a road rash. I rolled four times and looked up seeing the road block. I crawled fast and in moments I was in the tree line and on my feet. I couldn't stop I had to keep running. Always running Manticore would never stop looking for us.

I finally found a town, I was tired and hungry, and my feet were cut and swollen. I stuck to the shadows hoping I could find a small shelter. That's when I saw her. Our Lady, Our Blue Lady. Beautiful as she had been in that photo Ben always carried. I was drawn to her, perhaps even Ben was here. He would have not been able to stop himself. She was a life size statue. I walked to her and stood at her feet looking up. I no longer felt afraid. A smile graced my face and warmth flooded over me with an orange glow which I realised was in fact the door to the building opening.

"Oh my, you poor thing." I froze, stood in the light from the door was an elderly woman. I backed up fast and tripped over my sore and swollen feet. "You poor dear, its ok I won't hurt you. Come inside. It's cold and you must be in pain." I couldn't feel my feet and even if I could the pain would not have bothered me. This woman seemed sincere, what could she do to me? I stood gingerly and stepped towards her. She held out her hand which I slowly took and went inside with her.

_2019, present day, Seattle._

Almost ten years ago I ran away from Manticore and for ten long years I have searched for my brothers and sisters. The only one I've found so far is Zack, but only as he was looking for me to. He had found most of the others. He didn't say so, but I knew he had. I knew how to cover my tracks better than almost anyone so I must have been one of the last he found, but when I asked if he'd found Ben, I knew he was telling me the truth when he said no. So here I was in Seattle starting a new search to find him, to find Ben. First step, plan escape routes should Manticore and Lydecker locate me, second step get a job to feed me, third step find someone that can help me in my search for Ben. Thing is step two was going to be hard in post pulse America. Terrorists had hit us with an electromagnetic pulse eighty miles up and well that just ruined everything. No computers, no data, no nothing so America went from the biggest superpower in the world to a joke in minutes. So now we were in a depression. Boo-hoo, life goes on just ain't all that easy for some anymore.

So I found myself at this messenger service place called Jam Pony. They seemed real busy, lots of parcels, not that many staff; maybe it was going to be easier than I thought.

"Excuse me Sir." I flashed a smile at the guy behind the dispatch counter.

"What you want delivering, where to and when do you want it to arrive?" The guy was tall, maybe thirty, glasses with a bored and fed up look on his face.

"Ah no Sir, I wondered if you had any positions going. I'm seeking employment sir." He peered down at me over his glasses smiling.

"Sir huh, ok fill in this form and be back here tomorrow, you'll need a bike too." I smiled.

"That mean I got the job Sir?" He smirked; guess he liked being called Sir.

"Yes it does. Now go these parcels ain't going to deliver themselves. Bip bip bip." He shooed me off throwing a parcel to a messenger. That could get annoying, though I wouldn't be around for long.


	2. Chapter 2

So I needed a bike and a bike was what I was going to get. Which was why I was downtown at 2am at Clive's Bike Store. I checked the area making sure I was alone and jumped the 10 foot fence. I walked around till I found a bike that caught my eye, black with red decals it was just so me. As I walked back to the fence with my newly acquired bike I saw my problem. If I threw it over I'd damage it. I'd have to pick the lock on the gate. I pulled out my lock picks and in minutes I had it open. I stood smiling to myself when I heard the growling behind me. Damn dog. Being a genetically altered superhuman Manticore had spliced my cells with cat DNA and in turn I had a dislike for dogs or more an urge to run. Instead I crouched back looking the pooch in the eyes, a big strong German Shepherd.

"Easy boy, sit and behave." I stared him down and he slowly slunk to his belly. I smiled grabbing my new bike and wheeled it out.

"Good morning sir, here is my form and as you can see I have my bike." The guy looked up from his desk and smiled.

"Great, so your name's CeeJay…good good all in order. Here is your sector pass, call me "Normal" all your colleagues do. Sketch!" He shouted and a tall scrawny guy walked over. He had dark brown hair that fell like a mop head, he seemed pleasant enough as he walked on over.

"You yelled?"

"This is out new messenger CeeJay, you'll be showing her the ropes don't mess with her." He looked me over and smiled.

"Well hello…you can call me Sketchy," He stuck out his hand which I quickly took.

"CeeJay, nice to meet ya pal." He smiled even more as he not so subtly checked me out.

"Well my lady if you'll follow me."

"Whoa hold up! 1298 Chapel hot run! Ride and talk, come on, bip bip bip." Normal called as he tossed a package to Sketchy.

We got out and I followed Sketchy as he talked on and on about how Normal was a bossy up himself ass, but was ok really. And how I should join him and his friends, fellow Jam Pony workers, at a bar called Crash later tonight.

"So basically, if it's a hot run just get there asap, get them to sign and deliver the package. If it ain't a hot run you got some time to kick back and relax. Once a week you'll be on call for any urgent must be delivered parcels. But it's kind of rare."

"Sweet, well seems easy enough. I'm sure I can figure out my way around." I smiled.

"Sure thing oh here's my number you get lost give me a call I'll come over in a flash."

"Thanks Sketchy." I rode back with him to Jam Pony and asked Normal for a map of the city. A few minutes looking over it I was confident I could easily find my way around. And then I was out again. Normal had said I could take a half hour break when I finished delivering my parcels, but if I moved fast I could have a little longer and take step three and find myself a private detective that could help me find Ben.

After a little enquiring and prodding I found a guy called Vogelsang he was running an office out back of a Laundromat. I had a baseball cap on and I made sure that it covered my face, a place like this could quite easily get me caught by Lydecker if I wasn't careful.

"And what can I do for you?" Vogelsang a fat guy thinning on top, that just screamed slime ball. I dropped a grand in front of him.

"I need help finding a guy."

"Well you've come to the right place." He smiled counting the cash. "Clearly you can afford the searching fees. So if I could just take some details about the guy, age, looks, any identifying marks."

"He'd be about 20 now. He had brown hair, originally he went by Ben and he has a tattoo on the nape of his neck." He paused briefly with his pen.

"What kind of tattoo?"

"May sound silly but it was a thing, it's a barcode just a barcode." He looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Ok, right that's all I need. This will cover my initial search and a grand each time for new information." I nodded my agreement. "Well it's a pleasure doing business with you ma'am."

"Here's my number should you need to contact me." And with that I walked out heading back to Jam Pony for my next delivery.

After the grand I dropped on Vogelsang I had about a grand left and that went straight in to a three room apartment. Bedroom come living room, bathroom and kitchen. I highly doubted that my wage from Jam Pony would cover my living expenses and Vogelsang. I needed to take a trip to the high-rise district and see what I could fence. I had told Sketchy I would drop by Crash so I had time only to look tonight but that was fine I had time. From the apartment building I was currently in I had a clear view into some of the more minted homes in Seattle and one in particular had caught my eye. In the two windows I had a view into I could see several paintings and statues that I could fence for a pretty penny. I smiled to myself as I came down all I needed to do was get a delivery to one of the adjacent buildings and I was good to go. I climbed on my Yamaha FZ1 and headed off to Crash.

"Hey Sketchy." I smiled standing by him at the bar.

"Hey you came!"

"I said I would."

"Herbal! Man this is who I was talking about the new girl CeeJay." A black guy with a thin shaped beard walked over and introduced himself.

"It's a pleasure to meet ya, I'm Herbal Thought." His voice was thickly accented Jamaican, but he was very well spoken.

"The pleasures all mine Herbal." A low whistle had me looking over to a young black woman, with her hair scraped back.

"Hey baby girl, call me Original Cindy. I'm the one and only, accept no imitations. Sketchy giving you problems?"

"Hey, I ain't done nothing." Sketchy protested.

"It's cool, Sketchy's just showing me round, I'm CeeJay just started working at Jam Pony. It's nice to meet you Original Cindy." She smiled looking me over. I had the impression she was playing for the same team as Sketchy which was fine but I didn't bounce that way.

"Hey any you guys seen Max?" She asked finally looking away from me.

"No, she ain't been here tonight. I think she said she had business to deal with or something." Sketchy answered.

"Damn that girl, why she have to be so,"

"Mysterious?" Herbal offered.

"Exactly, home girl needs to keep a sister in the know." She rolled her eyes. "So CeeJay where you from?"

"Me? LA, but for a while I just been going anywhere I can find work. Some where I like and have a little peace and quiet you know?"

"I hear ya my sister, that's all any of us wants. It's all the good Lord wants for all of us." I smiled at Herbal nodding as Sketchy passed me a beer. The good Lord was about as real as Our Blue Lady. But maybe things could be different here. These seemed like nice folk and looking at the high rises I could keep myself busy for a while as I looked for Ben.


	3. Chapter 3

I laid there in bed shaking I wanted to overcome them, but the only way to overcome the seizures was with the food supplement tryptophan or milk as my brain was hardwired wrong and I didn't produce enough serotonin. I laid looking up at the ceiling as the seizures racked my and thought of Ben. Ten years and I still had no idea where he could possibly be. I finally rolled to the side of my bed and grabbed the bottle with tryptophan and took it vehemently. My cell started ringing I picked it up noting I had half an hour to get to work.

"Hello?"

"CeeJay right?" It was Vogelsang.

"Yeah what ya got for me fella?" I was impressed he was calling me so soon.

"May have got a lead on one of your buddies. Don't know if it's the guy, but I'll need payment, tonight." Why didn't that surprise me?

"How much?"

"5 grand." I bit my tongue that was ridiculous.

"I want something now then. Gimme something so I know you ain't bullshitting me."

"Guy had a tattoo removed, a barcode."

"Which tattoo parlour?"

"You want more gimme the money. Tonight, Rooming house on Jackson and Third, room 18 at 10pm." Then he hung up. Damn it I'd have about an hour to get the goods from that penthouse suite and sell them. Luckily I had a few potential buyers I just needed to let them know what they could get.

If possible my day dragged longer than ever. I could be hours away from a lead on Ben and time was ticking by at a snail's pace.

"Hey CeeJay you coming to Crash tonight? Max is going to be there you can finally meet."

"I can't Sketchy. I gotta see a man about a tattoo."

"Come on boo please. You could do it another time." Original Cindy asked.

"Nah guy is hard to get a hold of but he's good or so I hope. But if I got time I might drop in later no promises though."

"That's all I ask. Someone gotta help keep Sketchy in line." I laughed I was noticing a trend with Sketchy attracting trouble serious or otherwise.

Finally I was done and stood up on the roof of the penthouse suite. I managed to open up one of the windows and after attaching my rope to one of the vents I lowered myself down into the penthouse. Looking round it was like a gold mine of goods I could fence for a small fortune. I started bagging a few statues when I heard the elevator doors open. I saw a women come through and ducked into the adjacent room. Damn they were going to see the rope. I needed a way to get to it and up with what little I had. Then I heard the squeak of wheels stopping.

"Well this is a little bit déjà vu." The guy was in a wheel chair, pretty good looking if I did say so myself. Stubble covered his face, small glasses gave him a sophisticated look and he looked up at me bemusedly. I backed up and turned just in time to dodge a blow from the woman that had walked in. I ducked the other blow, but then she clipped me on the chin. I must have been getting slow. I came back swinging and kicked her through the partition.

"Look I don't want to hurt nobody." I said as she came at me again. I side stepped at the last seconded and slammed her on to the desk her hair flipping over and that's when I saw it. The tattoo of a barcode. And not just any barcode. It ended in 452.

"X5-452,"

"What?" She demanded.

"Maxie…." She stared at me anger and confusion on her face then a second later recognition.

"Luna?" I smiled and embraced her.

"Oh my god Max!" I wasn't sure if I was laughing or crying with how happy I felt to have found one of my sisters.

"Luna what are you doing here?" I laughed pulling away.

"Robbing the place. But I guess you're the one Vogelsang was talking abou…but you still have your tattoo. He said they'd had it removed and it was a guy." She herself looked confused. The guy in the wheel chair moved closer he looked amused by it all. "Oh em hey sorry bout trying to rob your stuff."

"No problem, Max here did the same few weeks back. I'm Logan by the way."

"I'm Luna. So Max have you found anyone?" I asked hopeful I would ask about Logan later I wanted to know if Max had found anyone.

"No you're the first, well besides the guy Vogelsang has apparently found, but he's dead now."

"Who Vogelsang? But he called me this morning."

"It happened this afternoon. I know Lydecker is already here maybe he got him. But,"

"It's more likely that whoever he found killed him so that Lydecker didn't find out." I finished for her.

"Exactly. But who? Vogelsang gave me Zack's barcode, but he had mine."

"So could be anyone,"

"There are ten more of us out there." She finished for me.

"And all of them are capable and would considering what's at stake."

"Ok stop it as amusing as it is to watch you two finishing each-other's sentences it's kinda creeping me out."

"Sorry." We said simultaneously and then laughed.

"OK, right you two can catch up more later. Right now we need to find out where Zack is or whoever it is before Lydecker gets them." Max and I straightened up and focus immediately.

"Vogelsang's dead; Lydecker was there. That's good enough for me. Zack's in danger and it's my fault. Now we've gotta get to Zack before Lydecker does." Logan nods and moves off to his computer room I follow him and Max. If it was Zack I wasn't to fussed about seeing him he'll only want me to get out of town so I don't get caught.

"Might want to think about having your barcodes removed, too."

"Tried once. Feels like someone's pouring acid on your skin after it's been sandblasted. Came back in a couple weeks." I nodded I'd done it a couple of times too.

"It's etched into our genetic code. Nothing is getting rid of it."

"The mark of Cain." Logan said. "So why would this guy bother?"

"Zack's the kind of guy that does whatever it takes as often as it takes." Max said as if looking back to times at Manticore and one of the many times Zack stepped up and did what he had to while looking out for us.

"And that's why he's the unit leader. Whatever it takes." I smiled

"All right, there's four tattoo parlours in Chinatown...at least with phones." Logan offered us a printout.

"Thanks." She smiled.

"Can't talk you out of this?" He was smitten with her that much was clear to see.

"Don't even try."

"Be careful."

"She doesn't need to be. She got me I'll make sure she's ok." I walked to the elevator and called it to give them privacy even though I could still hear them.

"In case anything does happen, there's something you need to know. It's about your ex." Apparently the ex, who I had yet to see, had remarried and was only here to get more money out of Logan. What a bitch.

"So what are you doing here Max? How long you been here?" I asked her as we travelled dwn in the elevator.

"A while now, I work as a messenger. I'll have to introduce you to my friends at some point we can hang at Crash." I laughed. "What's so funny?"

"What's funny is already met your friends. Sketchy, Herbal and Original Cindy. I'm a messenger too, working for Jam Pony." I smiled.

"Small world huh, what about you?"

"I just rolled into town last week, I keep moving not like I want to. I'd love to just settle in one spot, but between Lydecker and trying to track down Ben…" I sighed.

"You're looking for Ben?"

"Yeah I promised I'd find him Max. He didn't want to leave me. I had a seizure before we hit the perimeter fence. I made him go on ahead. But he didn't budge till I promised I'd find him." She squeezed my arm.

"We'll find him. We'll find all of them."

"Zack hasn't found him yet, unless he has since last time."

"You've seen Zack?"

"Yeah he found me in Atlanta, two years back. Haven't seen him since." She nodded.

"Ok you take these two and we'll meet back at Logan's later."

"Sure thing. Do I just walk in?"

"Yeah he won't mind." I climbed on my Yamaha FZ1 and watched as Max climbed on her Kawasaki Ninja. Must be an X5 thing we all liked to ride fast.

As I drove along to the first tattoo parlour I felt for the first time since Zack found me happy, really happy. I was finding my brothers and sisters slowly one by one. It was only a matter of time before I found Ben too.


	4. Chapter 4

I hadn't had any luck at the parlours I had been to so I made my way back towards Logan's when I saw the Humvees and in the distance a motorbike. I knew who it was, Zack. I sped off hoping I'd catch him before he got too far away. He wasn't driving fast so I managed to catch up. He heard me approaching and I knew he was ready to speed off, but he looked over his shoulder and recognised my bike and slowed down.

"Luna?"

"Zack." I smiled stopping next to him.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Looking for Ben. I told you, I won't hide away, not until I've found him Zack."

"Damn it! You and Max are a pain in my ass. Why can't you follow my orders?!"

"Because we aren't in Manticore anymore! We may have been made there, made to be soldiers but we escaped so we could live normal lives as normal as we could. You got us out of there and I will be forever grateful. But Zack you know how I feel about running and hiding."

"I know, but we can't go up against that all we can do is run and hide and hope they never catch up to us. Come with me." He reached out gently taking my wrist.

"No, Max has made a life here. And I'm struggling for leads on Ben. I've settled in nicely here made some friends and the two of us have got more a chance to get out of any trouble together than we would alone." He just shook his head. "Zack stay with us, we can set up our own base of operations."

"No, you and Max might want to throw everything away then that's up to you. But I won't let you drag me down too." He revved his bike.

"Zack!" But he rode off in to the night. Same old Zack.

I decided to head to Crash I had said I would try to come by. I pulled up and walked in spotting Max at the bar with Original Cindy who had just ordered a pitcher of beer.

"Hey girl, boo this is CeeJay." Max turned a polite smile on her face ready to say hi, but she realised instantly it was just me and that was my alias.

"CeeJay!" She got up and hugged me.

"You two know each other?"

"Yeah we were foster sisters right Max?"

"Yeah back in LA. I didn't think I'd see you again." She smiled.

"Well ain't it a small world." Cindy smirked.

"Look I'm going to head off. Kinda in my headspace." I watched her as she stood and started to leave. Guess Zack wasn't what she expected.

"Hey guys CeeJay and Max were foster sisters back when they lived in LA." Cindy said as we joined the others.

"Sweet, Max ok?" Sketchy asked as he poured me a pint of beer.

"She's just thinking about things." Cindy said and Sketchy looked to me for answers.

"We didn't exactly have the greatest parents I guess popping like I have brought up bad memories." I sighed maybe I should talk to her. "You know I think I'm going to head home. Sorry guys."

I walked into Logan's apartment knowing Max would be here and she had said it was fine to walk straight in. It seemed I had walked in on a moment, I paused and listened to what they were saying.

"…Hooked up with Zack." I heard Max say.

"Sounds like it didn't turn out the way you wanted." That was Logan sounded like they were in the living room.

"After all these years of waiting and wondering, I guess I expected-I don't know...that finding Zack would change everything. My life would finally make sense. Pretty stupid of me, huh? I just wanted somebody that was like me. Someone I can connect with."

"Basic human impulse, not wanting to be alone."

"According to Zack, it's phony sentimentality. We're soldiers. This is enemy territory. We're constantly on the move." Typical Zack, but Max needed to understand that he had our best interests at heart, that he would lay down his life for us in a heartbeat.

"That's one way to live your life."

"I just don't know if I want to do that anymore. But maybe he's right. Maybe I don't have a choice." But we did, seeing Max and her friends proved to me that we had a choice. There was silence for a little while and I took that as my que to leave, this was a moment for them.

"Hey Normal. Got any packages to go?" I asked as I walked in to Jam Pony.

"You see this! This is what I want to see. On time, perky and ready to go."

"Hey I'm just doing the job I'm paid to do Normal." I smiled and walked towards the lockers.

"Hey CeeJay how come you're so pally with Normal?"

"Little kissing up, being on time and calling sir, means that when I need a favour or time off, he thinks, best employee, sure why not." Sketchy smiled.

"That's pretty sneaky."

"No that's playing the boss." I winked and moved off seeing Max walk in.

"Hey Max." She smiled. "A word?"

"Sure what's up?" She asked as we moved to the side.

"I want you to know, I'm not going anywhere. At least not for a while. Now I found you, Max just know I'm her for you, we are the same and I got your back, my sister." She smiled and hugged me.

"Maybe things will never make sense, but I got you."

"Sisters stick together." I smiled.

"That's right boo, we your sisters, we always got you back." Cindy added as she sauntered over hearing the tail end of the conversation.

"Hey these packages are not going to deliver themselves! Bip bip bip!" Normal called to us.

"Crash later?" Cindy asked, Max and I nodded, before taking off into the city with today's deliveries.

Finding Ben had been my major focus for so long that I never considered a "normal" life. I had spoken only briefly with another 09 escapee, another sister Jondy and where she had been, but I didn't know what kind of life she led. Until now my only reference point for how we should live our lives was Zack, that was until I found Max. Ben was still and is my priority, my mission. But now I had another priority, living life the way it was meant to be.


	5. Chapter 5

"Good morning and how is my number one employee?" Normal asked as I walked in to Jam Pony.

"Morning Normal, I am good and ready for my first run." Herbal came in and nodded his head in greeting.

"Mornin', Normal. I and I need to take a personal day next Friday."

"You and who need to do what?" I hid a laugh I was just starting to get use to the way Herbal spoke, but Normal always looked confused.

"'Tis the 75th anniversary of the great Bob Marley's birth. I'd like to attend the memorial concert they're having out there in Portland for him."

"Yeah, well, I'd like to take off every June 12th, but I don't."

"What's June 12th?" I asked.

"June 12th is the birthday of my personal hero, and perhaps the nation's greatest visionary, George Herbert Walker Bush. Born 1924, in what used to be called Milton, Massachusetts, before the Pulse. Sketchy, get your tail over here."

"I'm on a break."

"Shut up. Put this on." Normal handed him a jacket emblazoned with the American flag, a slogan and reflective stripes.

"What is it?"

"It's not exactly the best looking thing Normal." He threw me a look so I smiled and zipped it.

"It's the shape of things to come, my friend. This is the prototype for the new Jam Pony safety jerkin, which each of you will soon be required to wear at all times." Cindy joined us, her eyebrows disappearing up with disgust.

"Jam Pony. Ride With Pride." She huffed.

"That's right. I designed it myself." Normal added proud of himself.

"I can tell."

"It will make our riders more visible to other vehicles and lend a more uniform appearance to the generally scruffy look of you bums."

"Even though people are hungry out there, they will throw food at us if we wear something this bogus." Sketchy added he looked like he could catch something from it.

"You'll wear it and you'll like it. You can also say goodbye to the graffiti in this place and hello to a nice, fresh coat of institutional beige, as well as digital locators, so I can keep tabs on you deadbeats at all times." He said motioning to the walls and graffiti.

"Where's the money come from to pay for this fascist wet dream of yours, Normal?" Max asked.

"From our soon-to-be new owner, Mr. Gurmook Sivapathasundaram, who's on his way from Bangalore, India, as we speak."

"He's buying this place?" Cindy and I asked at the same time.

"Yes, as an investment, and he's empowered me to institute a wide range of reforms to get Jam Pony running more efficiently."

"Maybe you should start with fixing the can in the ladies' room." Max smarted/

"Well, in due course. First order of business, I want all unauthorized signage, graffito, and the like removed from your lockers. I don't want Mr. Sivapathasundaram walking in here and finding a great, big, fat mess." Max rolled her eyes at me and I smirked. "CeeJay, hot run, 5th and west."

"On it boss." I grabbed it and headed out. "Crash guys?"

"Sure thing Boo!" Cindy called as I rode out.

I was just about to leave Jam Pony for Crash when my beeper went off, checking the number it was Logan or more likely Max paging me from Logan's.

"Hey Normal can I use the phone?"

"Sure thing, but be quick I do have a home to go to."

"Thanks Normal." I smiled and dialled Logan's number. "It's CeeJay,"

"Get over here quick, its Zack." The phone was barely in its cradle and I was already out the door. I blasted through the sectors on my bike and got to Logan's in record time.

"Max?! Where is he? He ok?" I called out and was met by Logan.

"He's ok, relax, Bling is seeing to his injuries now." I breathed a sigh of relief as I went ahead where Logan pointed to. Bling was a tall well-muscled black man and Logan's live in physiotherapist.

"Max what happened?"

"I don't know, I found him at my place he was pretty beat up. Something about Lydecker and I think…I think Lydecker has Brin." Just then Bling pulled at Zack's bandage and Zack grabbed him.

"I need to change your bandage."

"You need to back off." Zack snapped.

"It's okay. He's a friend." Max said. I shook my head, I thought Max would have known him by now. Zack trusted no one, hell he barely trusted us. Just then Logan joined us, Zack eyeballing him.

"Another friend?" Zack sniped.

"That's right."

"Why did you bring me here, Max? I came to you for help."

"And that's what you're getting. Now, tell us what happened to Brin. You said Lydecker had her." Zack looked at Logan, not wanting to proceed in front of a stranger.

"He knows all about who we are. You can tell us." I said.

"I want to help you." Logan assured in that oh so calming, serene voice of his.

"You can trust him. Tell us what happened." Max added.

"She got careless. She got caught. End of story." Leaning against the table I crossed my arms, Zack was being such an asshole, that was one of our sisters he was talking about.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"She's gone, Max."

"So we're just gonna let Lydecker have her?"

"You want us to go after her and give him a shot at us three?" Zack argued.

"We can't just do nothing." Max shouted exasperated.

"We're not going to breach op-sec for some half-assed rescue attempt. You need to accept what happened, and move on. Is that clear?"

"You're not my CO, Zack. You know, you can worry about op-sec for the both of us, but I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get her back."

"Max is right, we have an obligation to Brin. So you can sit up there on that bullshit perch you've built yourself, but we're going after our sister."

"Yeah? How? She's probably halfway to Manticore by now." Zack said glaring at me,

"I don't think so." Logan was still calm and I noted the laptop with him.

"Stay out of this." Zack shot.

"In case you haven't caught on by now, these girls are gonna do what they gonna do, no matter what you or anyone else says. Now you've got two choices: back off or pitch in."

"What he said." Max said as I smiled moving up to her as Logan checked his laptop.

"Now, the way I figure it, you don't just put a genetically-enhanced killing machine on the next bus to Manticore. And since I'm not finding any record of military convoys leaving the city, or any unusual air traffic, I'm thinking there's a chance she's probably being held somewhere here in Seattle. Maybe at Lydecker's forward base of operations."

"Makes sense, he's got to have figured that there's a chance one of us will try and save her."

"Yeah? Well, where's that?" I smiled, I knew Zack wouldn't back out on us. He'd piss and moan, but he had our backs.

"Give me a minute." As Logan tapped away I got a page from Sketchy.

"Logan can I use your phone?" He pointed to the kitchen and went back to work. "CeeJay,"

"Hey CeeJay, look we were wondering," Before he could finish I heard someone else grab the phone and Original Cindy spoke.

"Hey Boo, look the dude from India, Mr Siva-path-as, ah what the hell this dude is coming and we want to get rid, but we need Normal to be kept busy."

"Girl what you want me to do? I'm kinda busy, family stuff."

"That's aight, any ideas?" I thought about it.

"Bets thing would be for Normal to be sick…why not give him laxatives? Put it in a drink for him or something guaranteed he won't be leaving the bathroom tomorrow."

"Hey that's not a bad idea shugga."

"I try, anything else?"

"No we got the rest, hope you sort the family thing out."

"Me to, laters." I said hanging up and walking back to the others catching something about Lydecker being in the AA.

"Program must've turned things around for him if he was assigned to head up Manticore. He's probably still working it." Max said.

"As in, "My name is Don. I'm an alcoholic"?" The thought of it was highly amusing.

"Place to start." Then she looked to Zack. "You coming?"

"And our objective is what? All the black coffee we can drink?"

"Find the man, he'll lead us to our objective." I said moving to the lift.

"Or did you sleep through Recon 101?" Max asked as she followed.

"Notwithstanding what I told G.I. Joe here, you do realize that you're going after a man who's spent the last ten years trying to hunt you down."

"I've spent the last ten years looking for him, Luna, and Brin, and the others. It's what's kept me going." I smiled, even though she settled down she never stopped looking.

"Just make sure it's not what gets you killed."

"Don't worry I got her back." I winked before stepping in the lift. I just hoped we could get Brin back.


	6. Chapter 6

I sat on my Yamaha and waited. Max had disappeared into the shadows and Zack was on the other side of the street hidden in shadows on his bike. Lydecker would be done in there soon and we could track him all the way to Brin. To our sister. What I didn't count on was Max attacking Lydecker and shoving him in his own car. Zack and I both raced out and to the car.

"Max?" I asked looking in at Lydecker.

"What the hell are you doing?" Zack snapped, I understood his anger this was dangerous territory we were in right now.

"Follow me." Was all Max said and took off in the car.

We ended up in a warehouse. Lydecker tied and blind folded to a chair. As we stood a way off. Zack was pissed.

"Max, that wasn't the plan. That wasn't the plan!" Zack hissed out.

"I saw an opportunity. I took it."

"Well we have to be real careful about this." I said pointedly as Max hands Zack a gun. I grab a canteen of water as we head to Lydecker and splash him with it.

"A group of men in black SUVs kidnapped a girl yesterday on Waverly Avenue. Your men. We want to know where they took her." Max barked out, quickly just like we were taught. Interrogation 101.

"You must have me confused with some," Before he can finish Zack punched him in the face.

"Tell us where she is, Lydecker, or you're gonna have a very long day." I growled.

"I'm just a businessman." This time I punched him in the stomach.

"Where is Brin?" Zack snaps.

"Brin? You're one of them. One of mine. X5. Nobody else would know the names you kids called each other." His, like hell we were his, but we should have known he'd realise it was us.

"Where is she?" Max asks.

"I don't have her." Zack hits him again in the face and Lydecker starts laughing.

"You're still so angry. You haven't changed much, have you, Zack?"

"We'll play pin-the-name-on-the-barcode later. Answer the question." Max snapped.

"And who might you be? Jondy, maybe? Tinga? Max? Listen up. I don't want to see Brin fall into enemy hands any more than you do."

"You are the enemy." Zack shoots back.

"I told you, Zack. I don't have her." In response Zack hits him again.

"Stop lying."

"You put your prisoner in a threatening environment...and then you use threats and verbal abuse to try and weaken him psychologically." Max tensed angrily.

"Shut up!" She screamed at him.

"And eventually you'll employ nonverbal techniques, including torture."

"I said shut up!"

"Why don't we just cut to the chase, and," He breaks one of his fingers. "One down, nine to go. What do I have to do to have you accept that I'm telling you the truth? I don't have her."

"I think he's telling the truth." I said as I looked at him.

"Well now I know who female number two is, Luna. You always did have a knack for sniffing out the truth in interrogations." The three of us ignore him and plough on with questioning.

"Then who does?" Max demanded.

"Any number of foreign governments would love to get their hands on Manticore technology."

"You're saying someone kidnapped her so they can sell her to the highest bidder?" I asked.

"Is that so surprising? Each one of you is worth millions." Lydecker replied.

"Why should we believe you?" Zack asked.

"A weapon system like Brin doesn't come up for sale every day. Let me contact my people. We can find out who's brokering the deal. Think about it." The three of us stepped away.

"What do you think?" Max asks.

"We should kill him right now and take the win." Zack got straight to it.

"I think he's telling the truth. He doesn't have her." Max stated her thoughts.

"You're not seriously buying into that crap? What do you say?" He asked looking to me."

"I'd love nothing more than to kill him right now. But we need to get Brin back. I don't think he's lying either." I looked to Max.

"It's plausible. We should check it out. Logan has contacts with the military. Maybe he can shake something loose." Zack nodded slowly.

"Go. I'll stay here and work on Lydecker."

"I think something tragic might happen while we're gone. You should take point with Logan."

I'd gone to get some things, including some of my meds for the seizures the last thing I need was a seizure in the middle of a fight. I walked back in as Max and Lydecker were talking.

", well, you don't have to, you know. You can always come home." I heard Lydecker saying.

"Get it through your head-I'd rather die than go back there."

"Max is right, you can sugar coat it anyway you want, but what you did to us, to Eva was unforgivable, I'd rather eat a bullet than go back to you and that torture house." Before he can reply Zack walks back in.

"Catching up on old times?" Then he looks to us. "He's right. She's being held at Fort Xavier."

"That's Jake Sanders' command. I can't believe it. We served together." Lydecker stated, like it mattered.

"Well, we'll be sure to send him your regards." Zack shows us a map of the base and we start going over it. "Here's a map of the base."

"We'll move out when it gets dark." I said looking at it for the best entry points.

"You'll never get out of there alive. Listen to me. I know Sanders. I can get us on the base. I can call in a TAC team," Lydecker began.

"And then what? Take her back to Manticore?" Zack snapped.

"I would give my life, rather than to see Manticore technology end up in the hands of the enemy."

"Oh how touching." I smarted off.

"You may have a chance. You're coming with us."

"What?!" Zack and I both exclaimed.

"With him along, we can waltz right through the front doors." Max reasoned

"He'll double-cross us in a heartbeat."

"Zack's right there is no way in hell we can trust him. Think about what he's done to us!" I pleaded.

"He may want to, but he can't. We're the only hope he has to get Brin away from Sanders. Isn't that right, Donald?" She said as she moved to take off Lydecker's blindfold. Zack goes to stop before she does.

"He'll know what we look like."

"We'll worry about that when we get Brin back." Max said.

"For the record, I don't like this."

"Seconded." I said, I had feeling things were going to get real bad for us real quick.

"Noted." Max said as she removed the blindfold. "One wrong move," Max starts as Zack points a gun a Lydecker. "You're an organ donor."

We pulled up after dark outside Fort Xavier, Zack and I in back with Max and Lydecker up front.

"Keep it simple." Max said looking to Lydecker as we approached the guard at the gate.

"Base perimeter has been sealed until further notice."

"I'm here to see Major Sanders." Lydecker smiles at the guard.

"I'm going to have to ask you to turn your vehicle around, please." The guard insists. I was ready to get out and just knock him out, quick if not easier. But Lydecker flashes his badge.

"Get on the horn, Corporal, and tell him Don Lydecker is here to see him."

"I'll be right back...sir." A few minutes later and the guard is back. "Major's in the mess hall. Sir, he's asked that you join him there."

"Good job, Corporal." The gates open and we drive up and head quickly to the mess hall.

"Holy crap on Tuesday's toast-Don Lydecker. How the hell are you?" the man who can only be Sanders asks.

"It's good to see you, Jake. It's been too long."

"How's the spook business?" Lydecker must have sensed our irritation and want to speed this along.

"Listen; is there someplace we can go to talk?"

"Something wrong with right here?" Sanders asked loudly.

"You might think so, when I tell you what I have to say."

"Shoot."

"You've got one of my kids, Jake."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're planning on selling her to the PRC, and it kind of worries me." At his words Sanders snaps his fingers and every soldier in the mess hall is on their feet weapons drawn. There was no way we could fight through these without getting shot or killed. Sanders looked to some of his soldiers.

"Pat 'em down." Then he moved to Lydecker. "I thought you might have a problem with this. I know how touchy you are about your kids."

"You've got it all wrong, Jake. I'm not here to make trouble. I want in." And their he goes, double crossing us.

"You never fail to surprise me, Deck."

"Times are tough. We all have to plan for our retirement."

"The problem is, I already got the merchandise. I just cannot see your leverage here, Deck."

"These kids wouldn't exist without me...like the three I brought with me to sweeten the pot."

"Really?" The next we find ourselves barefoot and our hands bound with rope as we are lead to three separate cells. Max spots her first, Brin laid on the floor weak and the worst part she looks aged as if decades have been added to her.

"Brin? Brin, it's me, Max." She looks up and can barely make us out.

"Max? Is it really you?"

"We're here, baby sister." Zack smiles sadly.

"Zack. You came for me."

"We all came Brin."

"Luna?"

"Yeah it's me, sister." I felt a spread of warmth that was squashed with the fear at not knowing what was happening to her.

"What's wrong with her?" Max demanded looking at Lydecker.

"It's a form of progeria, similar to Werner's Syndrome. It's a spontaneous, rapid mutation of the genome; expresses in the form of highly accelerated aging. Three of the X5 group developed it. She's the fourth...as far as I know." Then he looks to Sanders. "We're going to need to ice her down to bring down her core temperature, slow down her metabolic rate."

"She going to last long enough for me to lay her off to my clients?" I gritted my teeth anger welling inside me at how uncaring they were.

"Two or three days, maybe." Lydecker responded. Oh god she was going to die.

"All I really need is to have her breathing when the taillights disappear in the morning. But, Deck, they're not going to want to pay much for damaged goods."

"Dead or alive, her genetic code is worth millions. And, besides, we have the other three to sell. They're the top of the X5 group." I looked at Lydecker with all the hatred I had for him and spat in his face. He simply ignored it and wiped it off.

"Do you know something, Don? I've always wondered what drove you to hunt us down all these years. I thought maybe you were afraid for your dumbass fed job. Or was it a whacked sense of patriotism? Or professional pride because you felt like such a chump for losing us in the first place? But now I know. You're just a bottom-feeding pimp, peddling flesh for the Benjamins."

"It's a little more complicated than that. Permission to address your men?" He asked Sanders.

"Go right ahead." He replied taking a step back.

"All right, listen up. Under no circumstances is anyone to interact with the prisoners. Handling them requires special training, which you don't have. Do not open their cell. And under no circumstances allow yourself within arm's length of them. Understood?" Damn I was hoping to wring one of their necks and get the keys.

"Same old Deck." Sanders replied with a smile.

"Next time we do this, we're going to have to have more men in here." Then they left us leaving us guarded by four soldiers.

"Told you he'd double-cross us." Zack stated.

"Should have killed him when we he had the chance." I added angrily.

"Never fails to disappoint, does he?" then Max looked to the soldiers. "I got an itch. Any of you fellas want to scratch my back?"

"Yeah, right." One replied as Max starts gnawing at the rope around her wrists.

"Hey, cut it out." One says raising his gun.

"Oh...you gonna shoot me? 'Cause I don't think your boss would be too happy about that." Then she continues.

"I said cut it out!" He shouts as Max removes the rope.

"Or what chump? You gonna cry?" I laughed.

"Relax. Or do you want me to gnaw through your bars?" Then Max scratches her back. "Oh, much better." I shook my head and sat on the floor. This was certainly a fine mess we got ourselves into. I caught sight Max fashioning what looked to be a noose and moved to the bars.

"Hey handsome, how about a kiss before I get sent away. Or maybe you over there would?" All four look towards me, but Max needed a little longer. "Or maybe you'd like a little show?" I smiled coyly as I slowly pulled my shirt from my jeans and slid it up.

"Max! Max, no! No!" Zack shots and I drop my shirt before showing the soldiers anything. "Get her down! Hurry!"

"Open the door." One of the soldiers shouts.

"I'm not opening it." another shouts.

"She's not worth anything dead. Open it."

"What the hell are you waiting for?! Get her down!" Zack shouted.

"That's my sister her get her down now!" I screamed.

"Major Sanders, we have a situation." One of the soldiers says getting on the radio.

"This is Lydecker. Over." I had a feeling Lydecker had just screwed Sanders over to.

"Where's the major?"

"He's in the can. What's the sitrep?"

"One of the female prisoners hung herself."

"Do something, for God's sake!" Zack pleaded.

"Please! Please help her!" I cried.

"Open the damn door. Do it now." One of the soldiers shouted.

"Watch the others." Another commands.

"You two...face the wall." Both Zack and I turn, preparing to fight.

"Do not-I repeat, do not-open those cells!" Lydecker's voice comes over the radio/

"On your knees. Hands behind your head. Hands behind your head!" The soldier shouts to Zack and me

The soldiers open Max's cell and cut her down. She immediately starts fighting them. The soldier on Zack's cell turns away to take aim at Max, and Zack attacks him from behind, through the bars. Brin does the same to another soldier as I grab the one from mine. When all the soldiers are out, Max uses their keys to release all three of us. Zack takes several guns from the soldiers; and passes some to me as Max takes a radio. Zack opens a nearby locker and grabs our jackets and shoes. Max supports Brin as we run from the cell block Zack on point, me guarding our rear.

"We're going to get you out of here, okay?" Max assures Brin.

"Yeah, you're safe Brin, we have you now."

"I know you're monitoring comms; I trained you to. There's no sense running. You'll never make it" Lydecker says over the radio.

"Why, because you brought in your men? You think I didn't know you'd betray us, then turn around and betray Sanders?" Max had a point; we should have seen it from the start.

"If you take Brin, she'll die. You can't do anything for her. Let my people take care of her. They've done it before...with other X5s." I didn't want to leave Brin with him, but what if he was right?

"Oh, the sweet sound of gunfire. You guys go ahead and duke it out. We've got to split." Max smiles as she watches Sanders men go at it with Manticore. Zack and I provide cover fire as we run to Lydecker's SUV. Max jumps in the back with Brin as I drive with Zack up front with me.

"Hey, girl." Max smiles brushing hair from Brin's face.

"I know you can still hear me. That's pretty impressive, how you got away. I'm very proud of you." Lydecker said on the radio.

"Gee, thanks, Dad." Max replied as I rolled my eyes.

"Turn it off." Zack ordered.

"Please, listen to me. Brin doesn't have much time. Help me get her to Manticore before it's too late. I taught you always to have a plan. What's yours? To get her to a hospital? They won't understand what they're seeing. They won't be able to help her. I can have her to Manticore in four hours. There's still time." Again I had that feeling of what if he was right? Over the radio I couldn't tell for sure if he was lying, but was it worth risking Brin?

"Max, turn it off!" Zack ordered again and Max obliged.

"She's getting weaker." Max stated.

"We're together. Right now, that's all that matters."

"But Zack what if he's right?" I asked briefly looking at him.

"We can't just let her die."

"Anything's better than going back. You said so yourself." He was right, but what did Brin want? Just because we'd rather die than go back didn't mean Brin did too.

"I don't want to die. Please...don't let me die." Brin whispered. We all share a look making our decision as a group. Max turns back on the radio.

"Lydecker, you still there?" We made arrangements. Told him were to find her. We headed to a nearby park and laid Brin down, she was oh so weak.

"Brin, you're going to be all right. And someday, no matter what happens, I'm going to come for you. That's a promise."

"We'll all come for you again."

"Max...Luna." We all kissed Brin on the forehead, a goodbye but not for good. As the helicopter approached we get back in the SUV and drive off. Standing by Crash none of us had much to say. We just got our sister back only to hand her back to the man who caused all of this.

"I'm going; don't know if I'll be back. Goodbye." Zack grunted and headed for his bike if possible even more sullen than normal.

"Max, did we do the right thing?" I asked looking off down the street.

"I don't know Luna, maybe, but we'll get her back, we promised."

"Yeah we did. I'm going into Crash, you coming?"

"Nah, I'm going to see Logan. Tell him what happened tonight." She gave me a brief hug and took off.

Walking into Crash I had never felt quite as alone as I did right then. But the worst thing was that flicker of doubt I suddenly had, was leaving Manticore the right choice or had we made the single biggest mistake of our lives?


End file.
